MONKEY ISLAND, OKLAHOMA – Ryan Snyder, PGA of America Director of Golf at Shangri-La Resort + Golf Club, Oklahoma’s premier waterfront golf and outdoor recreation destination, has been named the 2025 PGA Merchandiser of the Year for the Resort category in the South Central PGA Section.
“I’m honored to receive the award,” said Snyder. “I couldn’t have done it without my amazing staff, including head pro Brice Long, assistant pros Mateo Villegas and Chad Dalton, as well as our inside staff and clerks like Mike Jacobs and Mike Haney who have done an excellent job providing a high-value purchasing experience for our members and guests. This is a great place, it’s down-to-earth, and we really love what we do. Rolling into 2026, we’re going to try to win it again.”
Shangri-La boosted its rounds played in 2025, which in turn increased greens fees sales and merchandise sales. The shop sells apparel labels like Donald Ross, Peter Millar and Under Armour, and club brands like PXG, Callaway, and Titleist. “This isn’t a normal spot,” says Snyder. “It’s relaxed, laid back where you come in and have a good time, let your hair down, and enjoy. We say, ‘Hi and how are you?’ and I think everybody appreciates the friendliness. We’re very service-oriented, help people out, and put forth gestures that make everybody feel at home.”
Snyder says Shangri-La’s golf merchandising philosophy is rooted in a simple belief: the golf shop is the heartbeat of the club experience. “It’s the first impression, the service hub, and a reflection of the values we uphold on and off the course,” he says. “We strive to create an environment that’s welcoming, professional and inspiring, where golfers of all levels feel valued, informed and excited about the game.”
Every product the shop carries must elevate performance, enhance comfort, or celebrate the traditions of golf. The shop offers a balanced assortment that blends trusted industry leaders with innovative emerging brands, ensuring members and guests have access to the best equipment, apparel, and accessories.
“Our philosophy emphasizes seasonal planning and strategic storytelling,” adds Snyder. “Merchandising is not just displaying products — it’s presenting solutions, guiding purchasing decisions, and creating emotional connections. We use cohesive color stories, purposeful layout, and modern visual standards to keep the shop fresh, dynamic, and aligned with member expectations. Each display looks exceptional but also improves product accessibility and drives engagement.”
He also believes in providing exceptional service, personalized knowledgeable support through custom fittings, special orders, and proactive communication. And he makes sure that staffers build relationships, understand preferences, and anticipate needs that allow them to offer an elevated retail experience that extends beyond the transaction.
Snyder says staffers manage inventory with discipline, analyze sales performance regularly, and make data-driven adjustments to ensure profitability and long-term sustainability. “Ultimately, our merchandising philosophy reflects our mission: to enrich the golfer’s experience through excellence, creativity, and unwavering attention to detail,” he says. “People and culture come first.”
Visit shangrilaok.com for more information.
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About Shangri-La Resort
Shangri-La Resort, located on northeastern Oklahoma’s 46,500-acre Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees, is the ultimate destination for relaxation and both indoor and outdoor activities. The resort hotel offers 9,000 square feet of versatile meeting and conference space, as well as a medical spa, steam room, sauna, fitness center, an indoor pool, and an expansive 6,500-square-foot outdoor pool with hot tub, tanning ledge, and splash pad. The resort offers six distinct dining and cocktails venues to complete an unforgettable getaway for golfers, families, groups, corporate and association retreats, and weddings.
Shangri-La’s visionary owner Eddy Gibbs has transformed the resort into the pride of Northeast Oklahoma and put the lakefront vacation oasis on the map nationally with an investment of more than $100 million into the property’s accommodations and upscale leisure amenities since taking over in 2010.
Surrounded by the waters of Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees on three sides, the revered 27-hole championship Shangri-La golf course meanders through rolling parkland landscapes with elevated Bentgrass greens and clever bunkering along with more open, flowing fairways accented by ponds, streams, and the breathtaking lakefront. The Legends ninth, “The Mickey Mantle Hole,” uniquely features two separate greens complexes and is named after the New York Yankees legend who hosted his Mickey Mantle Golf Classic charity tournament at Shangri-La and once holed an albatross on this iconic par five.
The Anchor indoor/outdoor activity park offers basketball, tennis, pickleball, cornhole, and a unique “Mini-Fenway” WIFFLE®Ball park, as well as a catch-and-release fishing pond for children under 12. The 11,000 square-foot indoor facility offers traditional arcade games, virtual reality games, a LaserShot shooting simulator, and Trackman Golf simulators. The popular Sports Bar at The Anchor features several sports screens, including two giant video walls, along with ping-pong, pool, shuffleboard, darts, and foosball.
The resort’s full-service marina offers permanent rental slips and courtesy docks for those who visit the resort by water and is replete with a ship store that even sells gasoline and diesel. Boat and personal watercraft rentals are available, along with yacht charters and Oklahoma’s only parasailing adventures.
Media Contacts:
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Carl Mickelson
(512) 797-2673
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Kevin Frisch
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